


Non-Disclosure Agreements

by water_bby



Series: Derivation [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Clones, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-24
Updated: 2015-02-24
Packaged: 2018-03-14 22:54:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3428579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/water_bby/pseuds/water_bby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SHIELD has multiple levels of secret-keeping. Skye's about to be introduced to level nine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Non-Disclosure Agreements

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gwynhefar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwynhefar/gifts).



> For gwynhefar -- thanks for encouraging the Skye POV.

Skye followed Coulson into the kitchen of their current safe house, biting her tongue to keep from asking about the man who had just knocked at the back door. May hadn't looked happy, but then something was going on between her and Coulson. Fitz had told her about May's secret communication system, so she guessed that was it, but she was a bit surprised they hadn't straightened it out while the Bus was being repainted. Getting shut up together provided plenty of opportunity, after all.

While they waited for May, Fitz, Simmons, and their mysterious visitors, Coulson poured three cups of coffee, then added way more sugar than Skye had ever seen him use to one of them. When the others arrived, each pouring their own cups of coffee or tea before settling into seats on the same side of the table as Skye, Coulson sat impassively, drinking his own coffee and keeping the sugared cup away from both the plain ones. He simply took another sip when there was a soft sound from the doorway and a duplicate Agent Phil Coulson entered the room from the doorway behind him. The duplicate sat next to their Coulson and calmly accepted the (unsugared) cup pushed his way. Skye was impressed—she wouldn't have tried to drink coffee if May were holding a gun on her. New Coulson didn't even blink, while their Coulson simply raised an eyebrow.

"Melinda May, I will shoot you if you don't sit down and hear him out." Another stranger was holding a gun on May, looking as if threatening a legendary SHIELD agent was an everyday occurrance.

New Coulson picked up the sugar-laden coffee, twisting to hold the cup up for the armed man. "Sorry, Melinda, Clint's being a bit over-protective these days. Clint, stop threatening to shoot people for looking askance at me."

For a moment, no one moved, and then their Coulson gave May a long look. "Agent May, sit down so we can begin. Agent Barton, don't make me institute a no-guns-in-the-kitchen rule again."

The man, Clint Barton it seemed, and May nodded once at each other and holstered their weapons. Barton took the coffee that new Coulson was still holding out to him and leaned back against the wall, eyes finally moving off May to take in the rest of them.

"I thought that was just a rumor," May said.

"Nope," Barton replied. "Nat and I got an entire lecture on how it was impolite to bear arms at Christmas dinner. We settled for no guns."

Skye sucked in a breath as she realized who Clint Barton was. Fitz and Simmons sucked in their breath practically in unison with her.

"AC," Skye started, unsure what she was going to say, when she was interrupted by Barton's chuckle.

"AC. I like it. Can I call you that, too?"

"Barton," their Coulson growled.

"Oh, come on. It would be a name of your very own, 'cause 'Coulson' is fine for work, but calling you both 'Phil' is just weird." Barton grinned at both Coulsons.

May frowned at Barton. "I was told that the Avengers did not know and were not to know that Agent Coulson survived."

Skye admired May's ability to speak in full sentences at the moment. She herself was feeling a bit tongue-tied, and Fitz and Simmons looked like they might be even worse off.

New Coulson sighed. "What do you know, Melinda?"

Their Coulson took a large swallow of his coffee and smiled bitterly. "Agent May knows that I died on the Helicarrier, was dead for five days, and was revived by extraordinary measures which apparently involved being injected with a substance called GH325. She was assigned to this team by Director Fury to insure that I didn't go crazy or some such thing."

Skye noticed that both Barton and new Coulson now looked shocked.

"In particular," their Coulson continued, "she was supposed to keep me from finding out what happened. Apparently, the Director didn't tell her everything."

"Mel! You agreed to spy on him?" Barton exclaimed.

"GH325?" New Coulson's question was much quieter. "TAHITI?"

Their Coulson nodded once. "We still don't know exactly what was going on."

"And until we do, we should be cautious," May said. "We have no idea whether HYDRA was involved in the project or not."

Their Coulson glared at her, but new Coulson closed his eyes and pinched his nose. "I thought the death story was a cover."

Skye bit her tongue to prevent herself from demanding that someone explain what they were talking about immediately. She thought Simmons, who didn't know about the alien, looked like she was swallowing her tongue.

"Apparently not." Their Coulson and his look-a-like were silent for several moments.

Skye was thinking about interrupting when new Coulson leaned back in his chair, took a big swallow of his coffee, and then carefully set the mug on the table. "Or it's the missing piece of the puzzle. Melinda, I can guarantee that HYDRA was not involved in the project. We only have a few more minutes, so that's all I will say about it now. Clint, give them the ND-9s. We'll be in the front room." Both Coulsons rose from their chairs in unison, grabbing their mugs of coffee and disappearing down the hallway.

"ND-9s?" Simmons excitedly asked after they left.

"'Permission to lie to everyone' forms? Really?" Fitz added, nearly vibrating in his chair.

"Yep," Barton replied, handing each of them a single sheet of paper. "Congratulations, you are now four of the eight people who know that the two of them," he jerked a thumb towards the front of the house, "know that each other exist. You tell no one without explicit permission from Agent Coulson."

"Which one?" Skye asked.

Barton laughed. "Either, but you probably won't see my Phil again for quite a while, so your AC is the one you have to worry about. Do yourself a favor, sign the form, and then forget there are two Phil Coulsons running around. It will make it easier on all of you."

"But what about Ward and Trip, the rest of our team?"

Barton grinned at her. "You'd keep this from Fury, much less anyone else who isn't here right now."

"Like he said," May added, pushing her signed form back across the table, "just forget you know. Never talk about it; never run into trouble." She turned her glare on Barton. "Who else knows?"

"The seven of us in this house and Romanov." He picked up the four signed sheets of paper. "Take care." And he was out of the kitchen and down the hall. Soon after, the sound of the back door shutting reached them.

Coulson (their Coulson, Skye knew, from the wrinkles in his shirt and the color of his tie) came back into the kitchen looking determined. "I've been advised to go with the truth, so, here it is. At certain security levels, SHIELD has been trying to develop a method to 'replace' agents in case of death. Following the Battle of New York, Director Fury chose to do so with Agent Coulson, even though he was recovering from the injury he received prior to the battle."

He met Skye's eyes, and then Simmons' and Fitz's before looking at May. "I'm a clone. And we keep the existence of my twin secret from everyone else." He took a deep breath. "As Skye knows, Director Fury left coordinates in my badge. We'll leave tomorrow to see what's there."

They all nodded, and then Skye decided that it wouldn't hurt to ask for a least a little more information. "So, AC, how long have you known about your, er, um..."

"Twin. We just use twin. And I've known about him for about the same amount of time I've known about you. Now let's start packing."

Skye was glad that she wasn't the only person who seemed too stunned to get out of her chair.


End file.
